Article XIV - Special Legal Provisions

14.1 Severability of Charter Provisions

If any part of this Charter, or application thereof to any person or circumstance, is adjudged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of this Charter that can be effective without the invalid part, and to this end this Charter is declared to be severable.

14.2 Interpretation

(a) Where any question exists as to the meaning of any portion of this Charter, it shall be interpreted consistent with the Charter's purpose to reserve to the City and its citizens the broadest possible powers of home rule and of local self government available under the Constitution of the State of Colorado, as limited only by the specific language of this Charter.

(b) Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or as indicated by the context, all words used in this Charter indicating the present tense shall not be limited to the time of the adoption of this Charter, but shall extend to and include the time of the happening of any event or requirement for which provision is made. The singular number shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular.

14.3 Sale, Lease and Disposal of City Property

(a) The City Council may, on such terms and conditions as the City Council deems appropriate and by ordinance, without the prior approval of the registered electors of the City, except as hereafter provided, lease, sell, or otherwise dispose of public buildings, real property, or water rights held or used for any municipal purpose.

(b) Except for those parts of utilities or systems no longer useful to the operation of a utility or system, there shall be no lease or sale of water works; gasworks; geothermal systems; solar systems; electric distribution systems or other public utilities; or any real property used or held for open space or park purposes without the question of such lease or sale, and the terms and consideration therefor being submitted to a vote of the registered electors of the City at a special or regular municipal election and a favorable vote by a majority of those registered electors voting thereon.

(c) Nothing in subsection (b) above shall prohibit the City from granting utility easements across, under, or over any City property held for open space or parks purposes.

14.4 Eminent Domain

The City shall have the right of eminent domain and dominant eminent domain within or without its corporate boundaries.

14.5 Articles and Sections

The numbering and titles of articles and sections of this Charter are for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision in this Charter.

14.6 Public Records

It shall be the policy of the City that all public records of the City shall be open for inspection at reasonable times, except as otherwise provided by Colorado statute. Those public records of the City that are open to inspection shall be reasonably accessible for inspection. The public records of the City may be deposited at any public facility for the purpose of availability for inspection.

14.7 Special Taxing Districts

The City Council may, by ordinance, establish special taxing districts as provided by the Constitution or laws of the State of Colorado.

14.8 Election Required for Urban Renewal Authority

The City Council shall not create an urban renewal authority as provided in the Colorado Urban Renewal Law until the question of creating an urban renewal authority has been submitted to a vote of the registered electors of the City at a special or regular municipal election and approved by a majority of those voting thereon at such election.

14.9 Charter Amendment

This Charter shall be amended in the manner provided by Article XX of the Constitution of the State of Colorado and any statute enacted by the Colorado General Assembly pursuant thereto.